Device for playing the game of rock-paper-scissors



Oct. 21, 1969 E. R. BODENHAMER ET AL 3,473,803

DEVICE FOR PLAYING THE GAME OF ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS Filed Feb. 8, 1967 .2Sheets-Sheet 1 I2 Edward R Bodenhamer F g- 2 BY William Chin W, 6mi IOct. 21, 1969 R, DE H ET AL 3,473,803

DEVICE FOR PLAYING THE GAME OF ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS Filed Feb. 8, 1967 .2Sheets-Sheet 2 Y, I I// I/I/ 17 I6 I3 flo l N F 3 I8 I g 21 H28 1 g.

C r z 8 INVENTORS 8 12 Edward R. Bodenhamer BY W'Iliam Chin.

ni'ted States Patent 3,473,803 DEVICE FOR PLAYING THE GAME OFROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS Edward R. Bodenhamer, 15778 Via Nueva, San Lorenzo,

Calif. 94580, and William Chin, 2708 Fulton St., San

Francisco, Calif. 94117 Filed Feb. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 614,666 Int. Cl.A63f 9/12 US. Cl. 273--1 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DiSCLOSURE Amechanical amusement device including a box with a like set of at leastthree vertically movable indicators for each of two players and adigitally operable actuator for each indicator located at the oppositesides of the box so that the actuators for each player are hidden fromthe View of his opponent, the actuators being levers that permitdownward retraction of the indicators into the box by gravity uponrelease of the actuator. The indicators for each player have relativeranks and either carry different indicia or are of different outlines orcolors.

The invention relates to an amusement device in the form of a mechanicaltoy in which each of two or more players has a like set of diflerentsymbols and each player, without knowledge of the other, selects onesymbol from his own set and the several players simultaneously displaythe selected symbols mechanically; a player either wins or loses,depending upon the relation of the displayed symbols if they aredifferent, or neither wins if the symbols are alike.

The different symbols within each set have different ranks, related sothat each symbol outranks another and is, in turn, out-ranked byanother. The game is a mechanical adaptation of the game known as Stone,Scissors and Paper, wherein the players, having their handswellconcealed, e.g. behind their backs, form their hands intoappropriate signs to represent a stone by a clenched fist, scissors by apair of spread fingers, and paper by displaying the fiat of the hand. Ata given signal the players simultaneously display their hands in frontof them for comparison. The relative ranks of the symbols are evidentfrom the understanding that a stone will break scissors, scissors willcut paper, and paper will wrap or cover a stone, so that any one symbolcan win if different from the opponents; the display of like symbolsresults in a draw.

In summary, the amusement device of the invention comprises a baseproviding upright wall means (preferably in the form of a box to providetwo upright walls), a plurality of at least three individually movableindicators for each of the several players mounted on the base formovement between a first and a second position, the indicators beingnonnally in their first positions and being visible at least in theirsecond positions, and a separate, manually operable actuator or key foreach indicator, the actuators for each player being situated on his sideof the wall means and hidden from the view of his opponent. At a signalgiven by one of the players, or by a third player, the opposing playerssimultaneously operate one of their three (or more) actuators to moveone of their indicators to its second position.

When the base is in the form of a box, there are provided two spacedupright walls, and the indicators are then mounted for vertical movementbetween said walls, preferably being recessed below the tops of saidwalls in their first positions and elevate to project upwardly beyondsaid walls in their second positions.

The actuators may be levers mounted in the upright walls and havingpivotal connections thereto and to the vertically movable indicators,e.g. by means of metallic ICC hinge pins. This construction is welladapted to fabrication of the apparatus principally out of plasticmaterial.

The indicators carry indicia and/or may have different outlines toindicate relative ranks, although it is possible to indicate therelative ranks on the box near the indicators (or to omit all indiciaand indication, relying on the positions of the indicators on the box toestablish relative ranks). In a preferred embodiment, the indicatorshave different outlines suggestive of the three symbols used in theabove-mentioned game, e.g. a rectangular field for paper, the upper partof an X for scissors, and the upper part of a circular plaque for astone. The actuators may bear similar indicia, and in a preferredembodiment, have digitally engageable plates which are smaller than buthave outlines like or suggestive of the outlines of the correspondingindicators.

The game device may be provided with counter means, comprising a rod anda plurality of beads (which may have different colors) slidable on therod for keeping score.

The invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and showingone preferred embodiment by way of illustration, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view of the game device;

FIGURE 2 is section taken on the broken section line 22 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the broken section line 33 of FIGURE 4;and

FIGURE 4 is a view partly in plan and partly in section, taken on thebroken section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the apparatus comprises a base inthe form of a box 7 having a pedestal 8 ot each end, and a horizontaltop wall 9, which rests on and joins the tops of the spaced, uprightwalls 10 and 11. The box has a bottom wall 12 and two end walls 13.Extending between the walls 13, in spaced relation beneath the centralpart of the wall 9, is a second, horizontal wall 14. The wall 9 has tworows of slots 15 and 15a, situated with their inner margins above thecorresponding margin of the wall 14. Extending parallel to each edge ofthe wall 14 and in laterally spaced relation thereto is a wooden strip16, which is supported at its ends by transverse cleats 17 which rest onthe wall 14 and are secured thereto, as by an adhesive. The horizontalinterval between the margins of the wall 14 and the strip 16 is aboutequal to the width of the slots 15, 15a.

An indicator 18, 19 or 20 is vertically movable with clearance on allsides within each of the slots of the row 15, and an ndicator 18a, 19aor 20a is similarly movable within the slot of the row 15a. Allindicators are guided by their respective slots in the Wall 9 and extenddownwards through the slot between a margin of the wall 14 and one ofthe strips 16 for additional guidance. The indicators 18 and 18a havetheir upper parts in the form of part of a circle, representing a stone;indicators 19 and 1911 are shaped at their tops like the upper part ofthe letter X, representing scissors; and indicators 20 and 20a havetheir upper parts shaped rectangularly, to represent paper.

Each of the indicators 18-20 has a separate actuator 21, 22 or 23, whichis a lever extending through an aperture in the upright wall 10 and ispivotally mounted thereto by a metallic hinge pin 24. The hinge pin 24passes through blocks 25 which are fastened to (or molded integrallywith) the wall 10. The inner ends of the actuating levers are pivotallyconnected to the lower ends of the indicators by horizontal, metallichinge pins 26 which extend through enlargements 27 fastened to (orformed at) the bottoms of the indicators. The outer ends of theactuating levers have digitally engageable plates 28, which formdepressible keys and preferably have outlines corresponding to orsuggestive of the outlines of the indicators connected thereto, such asa circle, a rectangle with a reentrant notch, and a complete rectangle,as such figures appear in FIGURE 4. The indicators 13a, 26a aresimilarly provided with individual actuating levers, of which only thelever 23a appears, these levers being similarly provided with digitallyengageable plates or keys 28%;. These levers are pivotally mounted tothe wall 11 and pivotally connected to the respective indicators aspreviously described for the levers 21-23.

The heights of the indicators are such that, when in their first orlower positions, resting on the bottom 12, their uppermost parts projecta very small distance above the wall 9, so that they will be guided intheir upward movement by the margins of the slots 15, a. Further, theactuating levers are so arranged that gravity causes the indicatorsnormally to assume their first positions. When a key 28 is depressed,the corresponding indicator is raised to its second position, as isshown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 for the indicators 19 and a and inFIG- URE 3 for the lever 21 and indicator 18. When the keys are releasedthe indicators fall back to their first positions.

The box preferably is further provided with inclined marginal walls 29which slope upwards from the top wall 9 and have elongated open areas orrecesses 30. A bar 31 having slidable beads 32, which may be ofdiiferent colors, is mounted on each wall 29 within the recess. Thisprovides a means for keeping score.

The keys 28 and 28a are situated on opposite sides of the wall means(formed in this embodiment by the walls 10 and 11) and below the top ofthe wall means, so that each set of three keys is hidden from the viewof the opposing player. The inclined walls 29 further aid in concealingthe keys or actuators from the opponent.

In one embodiment, all parts of the device except the wooden parts 16and 17 and the metallic hinge pins 24 and 26 (and optionally certainauxiliary positioning parts not shown) are formed of plastic material.

In playing the game, at a prearranged signal, such as the word Goannounced by a player, each of the two opponents simultaneouslydepresses one of his keys; if the raised indicators are different thewinner is determined as previously indicated and the winner registersone point on his beads 32, no score being credited if the indicators arealike. It is also contemplated that the game may be played inconjunction with a deck of cards which represent, when laid side byside, a trip say to China. A player winning a predetermined number ofcontests, such as ten, is entitled to draw a card from the deck and winthe game upon becoming the holder of sufficient cards to complete hisimaginary trip.

We claim:

1. A competitive amusement device for a plurality of players comprising,a base including two spaced upright walls and a substantially horizontaltop wall extending between upper portions of said upright walls andhaving a plurality of slotted portions therein, a plurality ofindicators for each of two players carried by said base for verticalmovement between said upright Walls and in registration with saidslotted portions for movement of said indicators from a concealedposition beneath to an exposed position above said top wall, saidindicators in exposed position being visible from both sides of saidbase. and a separate manually operable actuator for each indicator andconnected thereto for moving the corresponding indicator from aconcealed to exposed position, the actuators for one player beingsituated on one side and those for the other player on the other side ofsaid upright walls and all actuators being below said top wall so as tobe hidden from the view of the opposing player.

2. An amusement device according to claim 1, wherein said actuators arelevers pivotally mounted in and extending to both sides of said uprightWalls, said levers having pivotal connections to said indicators.

3. In combination with the amusement device according to claim 2, a pairof vertically spaced, substantially horizontal walls carried by saidupright walls and provided with vertically aligned apertures for guidingsaid indicators.

4. An amusement device according to claim 2 wherein said walls, leversand indicators are formed of plastic material and said levers arepivotally connected to said walls and to the indicators by metallichinge pins.

5. An amusement device according to claim 1 wherein said indicators havedififerent outlines.

6. An amusement device according to claim 5 wherein said actuatorsinclude digitally engageable keys having outlines corresponding at leastin part to the outlines of the indicators.

7. In combination with the amusement device according to claim 1,counter means mounted on said base and comprising a rod and a pluralityof beads slidable on said rod, for keeping score.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,628,838 2/1953 Smalley.2,844,374 7/1958 French. 3,048,402 8/1962 Schaper 273- XR ANTON O.OECHSLE, Primary Examiner PAUL E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner

